Pat Sajak has announced that he will retire from Wheel of Fortune after 41 seasons at the helm of the iconic game show.
The 76-year-old TV personality has been hosting the game show institution since 1981. He shared in a statement on social media that he will step away from the production after the end of his forthcoming season.
"Well, the time has come. I’ve decided that our 41st season, which begins in September, will be my last," Sajak wrote to his 18.8K followers on Twitter.
"It’s been a wonderful ride, and I’ll have more to say in the coming months. Many thanks to you all. (If nothing else, it’ll keep the clickbait sites busy!)," he added.
Read Sajak's retirement announcement below:After seeing his tweet about his retirement, many fans of the show flooded the comment section with well-wishes for the beloved TV host.
Author Carol Roth wrote: "Pat, the show will not be the same without you. Glad we get one more season! Thank you for all the great memories and entertainment and I hope that means more time for your great Twitter content."
One fan said: "Wow, can this be true? You deserve a break and ultimate happiness and freedom. Thank you for bringing us so many years and memories of some of the best times of our lives. You always delivered."
Another supporter commented: "Simply the best to do it, the beginning of our evenings will never be the same. Thank you for the memories, Pat."
A third shared: "Whenever Pat Is gone, you feel what a master he is. Keeps the focus on the game, makes the contestants comfortable, truly a legend. Thanks @patsajak!!! We love you!"
In another statement to Variety, Suzanne Prete, the EVP of Game Shows at Sony Pictures Television, revealed that Sajak will still serve as a consultant on the series for the next three years.
"As the host of Wheel of Fortune, Pat has entertained millions of viewers across America for 40 amazing years. We are incredibly grateful and proud to have had Pat as our host for all these years and we look forward to celebrating his outstanding career throughout the upcoming season," Prete said.
"We are incredibly grateful and proud to have had Pat as our host for all these years and we look forward to celebrating his outstanding career throughout the upcoming season," she added.
Sajak has consistently hosted Wheel of Fortune and Celebrity Wheel of Fortune since the Ronald Reagan presidency, fronting the daytime edition from 1981 to 1989 and then taking on nighttime duties in 1983.
The show has birthed some hilarious moments such as a contestant missing out on a $1 million prize after the "worst flub in recent memory" or another competitor leaving the live audience stunned after their wildly incorrect guess for the final remaining letter in a puzzle.
Sajak shared the stage with Vanna White - who has been co-hosting the series for four decades too. While she hasn't shared her thoughts on her partner retiring, she told PEOPLE last December that she wasn't ready to think about the duo not hosting Wheel of Fortune together.
"I don't even want to think about that. I mean, we're a team. That's depressing. I don't even want to think about it," the 66-year-old said at the time, adding that "it is" hard to imagine a world where neither herself nor Sajak is hosting the series.
"I just visualize us just being there. I can't think beyond that," she continued. White also shared that she has "no idea" whether the game show will continue on without them,
"I can't imagine. Everybody relates Wheel of Fortune to Pat and Vanna. We're like Ken and Barbie, you know? We've been in everybody's homes for 40 years, so it would be weird having somebody else turn my letters," she added.
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